Shaping attachment for lathes



March 2, 1954 c. E. MILLER 2,670,525

SHAPING ATTACHMENT FOR LATHEs Filed oct. 29, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l WNW March 2, 1954 c. E. MILLER I SHAPING ATTACHMENT FOR LATHES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Ocrh` 29, 1948 Patented Mar. 2, 1954 UNIT-leo .srnrss iafiEiNT QFFICE (CIJ 29-57) SClaims.

i1 lhls invention .haseforanlobj ect to .provide van .attachment for lathes, .and .more,.partic.ular1y 'for lathes -having aplurality .of rotary work-carrying spindles, andfby vwhich axially. arranged gro.oves..ornctches maybe cutina rotating work fg niece. Suchen-attachmentimay'beused,;for exampleto cutslots inthe sides o'f bearing lock nutsior-thereception of vthe jaws o'f .a Spanner .wrench,.andl.the invention will be further described with. particular reference 'to such work., 'thoughit will.be v,evident that theiattaohmen't 'is notlimited thereto.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

g. Figure 1 is alfragmentary. View partly. in front elevation `and ',partly .broken away .and in lsection of .a multiple spindle lathe showing anattachment embodying the invention in place thereon.

. Figure'z is a'front elevation to a'larger ,scale 'o'f .the attachment and .a portion of. the tool-carrry'ng turret to which it lis attached.

Figure T3 is .a perspectiveview ofthe forward end .portion `of a work piece showing the `operation .performed 'bythe attachment.

Figure a is an exploded perspective view. of one .ofthe shaping tool bars and the .guide members 'between which the 'tool bar iisslidably guided.

i Figure 5 Aiis Ya longitudinal-sectional vvview on line-E oi Figure 2 showing the attachment .about .to start into operation.

.Figure .isfa .view similar toFigllrer, .but showing the .operationnearly .completedfand with. certain .partsshownin elevation.

.Figuren .is .a sectionalview on. Iinel-T ofV Eig- .fure.5. i

Figure 8 lis .a detail .sectional lview .on line .-8-3 foi-FigureQ.

Figure 9 is a-.detaibsectional .viewlonine 9.9 ofiFigured :Referring rst to. Figure 1, at Al Yisshownythe forward end of a rotatable Spindle ,from which @the workpiece -Efniayrproject in position for `tooling operations to be lperformedthereon This .spindle lmay loe one. of a v.plurality.. of spindles of iafmultiplespindle -lathe inewhichzthe :sevferalY spindles are carried by van indexing .holder ,so as tofbe vpresented successively into each toolving-position. Coaxial with thelspindle-.fcarrier is a shaft 3 and coaxial with the shaft 3 is a sleeve on which is axially movable a tool-carrying tur- -retf5. .This-turretmayibe providedrwith-i' slots such vas .6 extending Alongitudinally @ci its :DEP .riphery y.to facilitate attachmentthereto `.of .tool h'oldersI -.of V-rari'ous ...types marrying :.-tools for p er crmingimac'himng operationslen 1the projecting v ends of work pieces carried .by lthe several spindles in their variousindex positions.

The present invention is concerned with one index. station only, and for this station .there is positioned `a support It shown Aas cylindrical in outline .and held by a twopart bearing ring lila provided with apair of uwing feet Il, the rend portions of which. may be secured in two of the T slots 6 asby the Tnuts. l2 and 'bolts i3. This support IG 'is arranged coaxial with relation to a work spindle at one of its indexing stations. The lsupport l0 is provided with an inner two- `part end closure is, Illa provided with afplurality of polygonal openings l5 therethrough which are inclined 'to vthe axis .of thesupport, being shown as arranged-to extend rearwardly and inclined toward the centralaxis `of thesupport.

' These openings form 'guidewaysforpthereception of'pairs ofguide'mem-bers' 2t shown detached inFigure 4. Thesemembers '2t are secured together in pairs by lscrews 25a land `havediagonally arranged oppositely disposed slots 21 in their lconfronting faces Awhich together form guidewaysfor'rectangular toolbars 22. As 'shown four such tool bars land sets of `guide members are employed, but there mayloe more or -fewer depending upon Althenumber of slots or grooves which itis desiredtocut in work. Each of'fthe 'guide members@ has at its forward -or inner'end a nose portion Z3 positioned to Aengage :against =the forward end of :the Vwork Lpiece f2. -IEach'z'oii thetool bars 22 lcarries :a cutting 'tool 24"in' its beingarrangedtofextend toward the axis o'f fthe work-piece.

It will be Ynotedl-thatthe tool bars '2'2" Vare arranged tomove axially betweentheir guidemembers 20' substantially parallel Ato the Vwork axis, while the'guide membersithemselves aremoun'ted 'for "lengthwise `motion :through the `'end member Hl inclined `'to fthe work rairis. As these v'guide 'members rare moved rearwardlythroughthe vwall M, -:thei'tool bars '22g-are' therefore -causedto :move inwardly *toward :the 'work `axis iwhile rthevindi- -vi'dual motions' of "fthe tool "oars themselves are vsnib-stantially parallel 'to'ithis axis. The rearward :movement-fof. .the guidwmembers is thus relied -ucon'to'ffeed the tools 12d toward the-.work axis "While nthe toolbars themselves are .-reciprocated in the guidefrnembers :in .order` to cause 'ther-tools to traverse lengthwiseof the work. :A5 shown vvinFigures .land 3, the forward endof-the work fpiece lhas heen :turned pto leave van,enlarged diameter Dortionforrheadi at its-forwardrend-.and

3 this head is to be out to provide the four spaced slots 25 shown in Figure 3, after which the head may be cut ofi from the remainder of the stock. Its innei` bore may be threaded so that it maisf serve as a retaining nut for a bearing, while the slots 2E provide spaced engaging parts for a Spanner wrench by which the nut may be turned for application or removal.

Coaxial with the holder Hl is a shaft 36 and relative to this shaft the support l is rotatable. As shown in Figure 1, the support l0 is provided with a rearward extension 3l which is splined as at 32 in the forward end of a tube 33. The forward portion of this element 3l is provided with supporting and thrust bearings 3H] and 3l I, respectively, held by a ring CH2 which is provided with a pair of wing feet 313 secured to the turret similar to the securement of the wing feet H. The tube 33 is suitably journaled in wall members 34 and 35 of the machine and on its rear end it has keyed thereto a gear 3B which meshes with a gear 3l keyed to the shaft 3. This shaft 3 is a portion of the drive mechanism which rotates the individual work spindles, and the gearing 35 and 31 is so proportioned as to cause the support l 0 to be rotated at the same rate and in the same direction as the spindle l. The shaft 35 is so supported that the support lll rotates relative thereto. As shown it is arranged to be nonrotatable, its rear end being splined as at 4G and arranged to slide non-rotatably through a bushing 4I carried by a bracket 42 secured to the end wall 35. The relative rotation between the support le and this shaft 30 is arranged to actuate the tool mechanism. Should it be desired to actuate the mechanism faster than with the shaft 33 nonrotatable, it may be arranged to be driven in a direction opposite to the rotation of the support I0, or if it is desired that the rate of actuation be lower, it may be rotated in the same direction as but slower than the support ID.

The forward end of the shaft 30 is of reduced diameter and it carries the inner raceway of a ball bearing 45, the outer raceway of which is positioned within slots 46 in the rear ends of the guide members 2B, and as these guide members 2D are moved in or out, being nearer to or further from the axis of the rotating support l0, the notches 45 close down or open up from the outer bearing raceways. Rearwardly of the bearing 45, there is positioned a spacer sleeve 41, and rearwardly of this spacer sleeve is a sleeve 48 having a journal portion 49 intermediate to its ends, theaxis of which is inclined to the axis of the support lll and of the shaft 30. Journaled on this portion 4S with the interposed ball bearings 50 is a pair of ring members 5l and 52 which form between them spherical sockets 53 for the rear ends of links 54, the forward ends of which are similarly formed with ball ends 55 rockably seated in sockets between the rear ends of the tool bars 22 and mating cap members 56 which are secured thereto as by screws 5T. The rings 5| and 52 are thus arranged in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the journal portion 49 which is inclined to the axis of the shaft 33 and of the supporting casing i0. The outer ring 52 may be formed in four segments, one for each of the sockets 53 held in place by two screws. these segments has a stud 510 on which is journaled a roll 58 bearing between two guide flns 5L! secured as by welding to the inner `face of the casing lll, thus holding the ring members 5| and 52 for rotation with the casing lll relative One of to the shaft 30 and the bearing sleeve 48. Under relative rotation between the support l0 and the shaft 30 these rings are caused to wabble, thus to alternately thrust the links 54 forwardly and then rearwardly, thus to reciprocate the tool bars 22. This mechanism is housed within the support IB which is provided with a tubular shell 60 extending between a forward cylindrical portion 6| inwardly of the end enclosure I4 and a rearward end portion 62, the portions El and 62 being secured together by tie bolts 63 extending through the casing. The sleeve member 48 is held in position by a pair of nuts 65 threaded on the portion 66 of the shaft 30 and with an interposed washer.

The support I0 being carried by the tool turret 5 is movable axially of the bar 3 with the tool carrying turret. This is accompanied by a cam l!) on an overhead cam shaft 1l, the cam 10 acting upon a follower 'I2 in a slide 13 mounted for motion parallel to the work spindle in the upper portion of the machine and having a depending part i4 engaging the rear end of the turret 5.

When this turret 5 is moved forwardly from the position shown in Figure 1 to bring the portions 23 up against the end of the work piece 2. the forward motion of the guide members 2l! is stopped, whereupon further forward motion of the turret causes the support lll to be moved forwardly on the guide members 2B which are thus caused to move inwardly toward the axis of the work, feeding tools 24 inwardly. At the same time the relative rotation between the support I0 and the shaft 3D causes the bars 22 to be reciprocated so that the tools 24 are caused to cut the grooves 26 in the work piece, the work piece and the support I 0 rotating together.

When the cut has been made to the desired depth, the tool turret is retracted, permitting the springs surrounding screws 76 (see Figure 8) seated in the outer ring member 'Il of the end closure I 4, threaded into the ring 6 l, and extending through holes in a ring 'i8 which engages the rear ends of the guide members 20, to retract the tools. These springs cause the guide members 20 to move forwardly with respect to the support l0 when the turret starts to retract, thus retracting the tools 24 radially from the work, and when this has been affected to the limit set by the engagement of the ring 'I8 against the rear end of the member Sl, further retractng motion of the tool turret removes the whole mechanism axially from the work piece, retracting the nose elements 23 out of contact therewith so that the work spindle is free to be indexed for later machining operations. By forward motion of the turret the tools are brought toward the work until the parts 23 engage it, whereupon further forward motion of the turret causes the axially reciprocating tools to feed inwardly toward the work axis, the relative rotation between the casing and the shaft 30 acting to cause this reciprocation of the tools.

From the foregoing description of certain ernbocliments of this invention it should be evident to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications might be made without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention.

l. claim:

l. In combination with a rotary work-carrying spindle, of a support mounted for motion substantially coaxial with said spindle, guide menu bers arranged about said axis and carried by said support for motion relative to said support Vineager-agees clnfedto said axisrtolffbars carriedf-'byesaidguide membersforunotionnrelative tofsaidgguide memberssubstantially paralleltolsaid axis andrfor ,motion with said guide memberslalongisaid iniilineitowar'd and from said. axis, tools `carried Joyl `sai'dlbars, means for` recprocatingssaid bars Zinltheirguide members'to .cause said tools .to move parallel to said axis, and means for moving said guide merxibersfrelative-to.said support to causeisaid tools to feedinor out with respect to :said axis-during their reciproeation.

2. In combination with a rotary Work-carrying spindle, of a support mounted for motion substantially coaxial with said spindle, guide members arranged about said axis and carried by said support and arranged to engage the end of work projecting from said spindle for motion relative to said support inclined to said axis to be moved toward said axis as said support is moved toward the Work while said guide members are in engagement with the Work, tool bars carried by said guide members for motion relative to said guide members substantially parallel to said axis and for motion with said guide members along said incline toward and from said axis, tools carried by said bars, means operatively connecting said work spindle and support causing said support to rotate with said spindle, means actuated by rotation of said support with the Work spindle for reciprocating said bars in their guide members to cause said tools to move parallel to said axis, and means for moving said support toward and from said work.

3. In combination with a rotary work-carrying spindle, of a support mounted for motion substantially coaxial with said spindle, guide members arranged about said axis and carried by said support and arranged to engage the end of work projecting from said spindle for motion relative to said support inclined to said axis to be moved toward said axis as said support is moved toward the Work while said guide members are in engagement with the work, tool bars carried by said guide members for motion relative to said guide members substantially parallel to said axis and for motion With said guide members along said incline toward and from said axis, tools carried by said bars, means operatively connecting said Work spindle and support causing said sup-port to rotate with said spindle, means actuated by rotation of said support with the work spindle for reciprocating said bars in their guide members to cause said tools to move parallel to said axis, means for moving said support toward and from said work, and spring means for moving said guide means relative to said support in a direction to move said tools away from said axis during a portion of the motion of said support from said work. Y.

4. In combination with a rotary work-carrying spindle, of a support mounted for coaxial rotation and axial motion relative to said spindle, means for rotating said spindle and support in unison, a shaft coaxial with said support and with reference to which said support rotates, a plurality of guide members arranged around said axis and movable in directions inclined to said axis relative to said support and having outer end portions for contact with the end of a work piece projecting from said spindle, spring means pressing said guide members relative to said sup port toward such work contact to a determined limit, tool bars carried by said guide members for motion substantially parallel to said axis, a journal non-rotatably carried by said shaft and TB ih-airing its ijournalfaxis-'inclineiltto isaidispiridle -iaxisfia ring .rotatably .mounted oir-said journal, fflir'iksfpivotallyaconnectmgsaidringanditcol bars. and meansformoving saidssupportwhile "'tfis Irotating fparallel #to its rotating -axisi'towardand "from" f the ViWork.

'f5 -In: fcomb'inationsvwith'a-a frotaryiWork-:carrying fspindle, of a support :mountedfor :motionfisub- Lstantially coaxial :withfzsai'diispindle -guidefmemlbers-farrangedaboutsaid iaxissandfcarriedibyisaid supp'ortiandf*having-fmeans'for i' engaging 'ithe'f'end of"workfiproj'ectingifromrsaid spindle, said guide members having slots therethrough substantially parallel to the axis of said spindle, said support having guide slots arranged inclined to the axis of said spindle, and within which said guide members are slidably guided, tool bars mounted for reciprocation lengthwise of said guide member slots, tools carried by said tool bars, means for reciprocating said tool bars to cause said tools to reciprocate lengthwise of the work, and means for moving said support axially relative to said guide members in one direction to cause said guide members to approach the axis of said spindle to thereby feed said tools toward said axis during their reciprocation.

6. In combination with a rotary work-carrying spindle, of a support mounted for motion substantially coaxial with said spindle, guide members arranged about said axis and carried by said support and having means for engaging the end of werk projecting from said spindle, said guide members having slots therethrough substantially parallel to the axis of said spindle, said support having guide slots arranged inclined to the axis of said spindle, and within which said guide members are slidably guided, tool bars mounted for reciprocation lengthwise of said guide member slots, tools carried by said tool bars, means actuated by rotation of said spindle relative to said support for reciprocating said tool bars to cause said tools to reciprocate lengthwise of the work, and means for moving said support axially relative to said guide members in one direction to cause said guide members to approach the axis of said spindle to thereby feed said tools toward said axis during their reciprocation.

7. In combination with a rotary work-carrying spindle, of a support mounted for motion substantially coaxial with said spindle, guide members arranged about said axis and carried by said support and having means for engaging the end of Work projecting from said spindle, said guide members having slots therethrough substantially parallel to the axis of said spindle, said support having guide slots arranged inclined to the axis of said spindle, and within which said guide members are slidably guided, tool bars mounted for reciprocation lengthwise of said guide member slots, tools carried by said tool bars, means for reciprocating said tool bars to cause said tools to reciprocate lengthwise of the work, means for moving said support axially relative to said guide members in one direction to cause said guide members to approach the axis of said spindle to thereby feed said tools toward said axis during their reeiprocation, and spring means for moving said guide members in the opposite axial direction to move said tool bars away from said axis.

S. In combination with a rotary work spindle, of mechanism arranged coaxially with said spindle and including a tool bar guide, a tool bar slidably guided by said guide substantially parallel to the axis of said Work spindle, means sup- 7 8 =portingsaid guide in said mechanism for motion References Cited in the file of this patent toivard or frorn said axis on an incline thereto, UNITED STATES PATENTS said guide having` means for engaging the end of work projecting forwardly from said work Num-12er Name Date spindle, a tool carried by said bar, means actuated 5 1,469,232 Norton Aug- 21 1923 by rotation of said spindle for reciprocating said 1310,167 Huper et a1' May 23 1933 bar, and means for moving said supporting means 2,039,646 HQlSmgtOn et aL May 51 1936 lengthwise of said axis during the reciprocation 2,442,009 Klme May 25 1948 of said bar to impart upon said tool as it re- FOREIGN PATENTS ciprocatea a radial component of feed into the 1o Number Country Date work in accordance with the aforesaid incline. 515 723 Germany Jan 10 1931 CARROLL E. MILLER. 

